N-[(pyrazinyloxy)propanyl]benzamides as antagonists of orexin subtype 1 receptor activity

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to compounds of formula I 
                         
a process for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in the treatment of conditions having an association with the orexin sub-type 1 receptor. Ar, R 1 , R 2  and R 3  have meanings given in the description.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to novel N-[(pyrazinyloxy)propanyl]benzamide derivatives, processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in therapy, particularly in the treatment or prevention of conditions having an association with the orexin sub-type 1 receptor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Orexins are hypothalamic neuropeptides that play an important role in the regulation of many physiological behaviours such as arousal, wakefulness, appetite, food intake, cognition, motivated behaviours, reward, mood and stress. Orexin A, also referred to as hypocretin 1, is a peptide composed of 33 amino acids and orexin B, also referred to as hypocretin 2, is a peptide composed of 28 amino acids. Both are derived from a common precursor peptide referred to as pre-pro-orexin [Sakurai et al., Cell, 1998 Feb. 20; 92(4):573-85, and De Lecea et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 1998 Jan. 6; 95(1):322-7). Orexins bind to two orphan G-protein-coupled receptors, the orexin receptor type 1 (OX1R) and orexin receptor type 2 (OX2R), which are widely distributed in the central nervous system and peripheral organs such as adrenal glands, gonads, and gut. Whereas orexin A binds predominantly to OX1R, orexin B is able to bind to both OX1R and OX2R. Orexins are involved in the regulation of a wide range of behaviours including for example the regulation of emotion and reward, cognition, impulse control, regulation of autonomic and neuroendocrine functions, arousal, vigilance and sleep-wakefulness states (Muschamp et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2014 Apr. 22; 111(16):E1648-55; for a recent review see Sakurai, Nat. Rev. Neurosci., 2014; November; 15(11):719-31; Chen et al., Med. Res. Rev., 2015; January; 35(1):152-97; Gotter et al., Pharmacol. Rev., 2012, 64:389-420 and many more).

Dual antagonism of OX1R and OX2R by small molecules is clinically efficacious in the treatment of insomnia, for which the drug suvorexant, [[(7R)-4-(5-chloro-1,3-benzoxazol-2-yl)-7-methyl-1,4-diazepan-1-yl][5-methyl-2-(2H-1,2,3-triazol-2-yl)phenyl]methanone] has been granted marketing authorisation (Kishi et al., PLoS One, 2015; 10(8):e0136910). The sleep-inducing effects of dual orexin receptor antagonists are predominantly mediated via OX2R (Bonaventure et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., March 2015, 352, 3, 590-601), whereas the other physiological states such as emotion and reward, cognition, impulse control, regulation of autonomic and neuroendocrine functions, arousal, and vigilance are rather mediated via OX1R.

Due to their sleep-inducing effects, dual OX1R and OX2R antagonists are not suitable for treating disorders related to impulse control deficits as seen in addictions such as substance use disorders, personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, eating disorders such as binge eating disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an OX1R selective antagonist for the treatment of impulse control deficits.

Orexin receptor antagonists of various structural classes are reviewed in Roecker et al. (J. Med. Chem. 2015, 59, 504-530). WO2013/187466, WO2016/034882 and Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 2015, 23, 1260-1275 describe orexin receptor antagonists.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides novel N-ethyl-N-[(2S)-1-(pyrazin-2-yloxy)propan-2-yl]-benzamides of formula I

in which

Ar represents

R¹ represents hydrogen, fluoro, methyl;

R² represents hydrogen, fluoro, chloro, methyl, —CF₃, —OCH₃;

R³ represents hydrogen, fluoro, —CF₃, —OCH₃;

or a salt thereof, particularly a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.

In another embodiment, in the general formula I, Ar has the same meaning as defined in any of the preceding embodiments, and at least one of the substituents R¹, R² and R³ represents hydrogen.

In another embodiment, in the general formula I, R¹, R² and R³ have the same meanings as defined in any of the preceding embodiments, and

Ar represents

The present invention provides novel N-ethyl-N-[(2S)-1-(pyrazin-2-yloxy)propan-2-yl]benzamides of formula I that unexpectedly are potent OX1R antagonists (assay A) further characterized by

-   -   1) high selectivity over the OX2 receptor (assay B),     -   2) a medium to high stability in human liver microsomes (assay         C).

Compounds of the present invention are superior to those disclosed in the prior art in terms of the following key pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic parameters:

-   -   1) selectivity over the OX2 receptor,     -   2) stability in human liver microsomes.

Stability in human liver microsomes refers to the susceptibility of compounds to biotransformation in the context of selecting and/or designing drugs with favorable pharmacokinetic properties. The primary site of metabolism for many drugs is the liver. Human liver microsomes contain the cytochrome P450s (CYPs), and thus represent a model system for studying drug metabolization in vitro. Enhanced stability in human liver microsomes is associated with several advantages, including increased bioavailability and longer half-life, which can enable lower and less frequent dosing of patients. Thus, enhanced stability in human liver microsomes is a favorable characteristic for compounds that are to be used for drugs.

Compounds of the present invention are potent OX1R antagonists. They are more selective for OX1R than preferred examples disclosed in WO2013/187466. Compounds of the present invention differ structurally from those disclosed in WO2013/187466 in that they contain a substituted —O-pyrazinyl moiety in place of a Het1-Het2 moiety in which Het2 is phenyl or pyridyl. These structural differences unexpectedly result in an explicit enhancement in selectivity over the OX2R.

Compounds of the present invention differ structurally from Examples 14, 70 and 40 in WO2016/034882 (closest prior art compounds) in that they contain a central N-ethyl-(propan-2-yl)amino moiety in place of the N-ethyl-[butan-2-yl]amino, N-methyl-[butan-2-yl]amino or N-methyl-[propan-2-yl]amino moiety and contain a —O-pyrazinyl moiety instead of the —N-pyrazinyl, —N-pyrimidyl or —N-pyridyl substituent. These structural differences unexpectedly result in an explicit enhancement in selectivity over OX2R and superior pharmacokinetic properties demonstrated by improved stability in human liver microsomes. Therefore, compounds of the present invention are expected to have a medium to low in vivo clearance and thus a longer duration of action and better tolerability due to the lager window between efficacy and undesired effects such as drowsiness and sleep. Consequently, compounds of the present invention must be more viable for human use.

General Definitions

Terms not specifically defined herein should be given the meanings that would be given to them by one skilled in the art in light of the disclosure and the context.

Stereochemistry:

Unless specifically indicated, throughout the specification and the appended claims, a given chemical formula or name shall encompass tautomers and all stereo, optical and geometrical isomers (e.g. enantiomers, diastereoisomers, E/Z isomers etc.) and racemates thereof, as well as mixtures in different proportions of the separate enantiomers, mixtures of diastereoisomers, or mixtures of any of the foregoing forms where such isomers and enantiomers exist, as well as salts, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

Salts:

The phrase “pharmaceutically acceptable” is employed herein to refer to those compounds, materials, compositions, and/or dosage forms which are, within the scope of sound medical judgment, suitable for use in contact with the tissues of human beings and animals without excessive toxicity, irritation, allergic response, or other problem or complication, and commensurate with a reasonable benefit/risk ratio.

As used herein, “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” refer to derivatives of the disclosed compounds wherein the parent compound is modified by making acid or base salts thereof. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts include, but are not limited to, mineral or organic acid salts of basic residues such as amines; alkali or organic salts of acidic residues such as carboxylic acids; and the like.

The pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the present invention can be synthesized from the parent compound which contains a basic or acidic moiety by conventional chemical methods. Generally, such salts can be prepared by reacting the free acid or base forms of these compounds with a sufficient amount of the appropriate base or acid in water or in an organic diluent like ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol, isopropanol, or acetonitrile, or a mixture thereof. Salts of other acids than those mentioned above which for example are useful for purifying or isolating the compounds of the present invention (e.g. trifluoroacetate salts) also comprise a part of the invention.

Biological Assays Abbreviations

IP1 D-myo-Inositol-1-phosphate

IP3 D-myo-inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate

HEPES 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid

HBSS Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution

BSA bovine serum albumin

DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide

CHO Chinese hamster ovary

Activation of the orexin receptors expressed in cell lines results in an increase in intracellular IP3 concentration. IP1, a downstream metabolite of IP3, accumulates in cells following receptor activation and is stable in the presence of LiCl. Using Homogeneous Time-Resolved Fluorescence technology with Lumi4-Tb cryptate (commercially available from Cisbio Bioassay.) and a suitable fluorescence plate reader. This functional response is detectable and quantifiable as described in Trinquet et al. Anal. Biochem. 2006, 358, 126-135, Degorce et al. Curr. Chem. Genomics 2009, 3, 22-32. This technique is used to characterize pharmacological modification of the orexin receptors.

The biological activity of compounds is determined by the following methods:

A. In Vitro Testing of OX1R Potency: OX1R IP1

IP1 measurements are performed in CHO-K1 cells stably expressing the full-length human Orexin 1 receptor and the aequorin photoprotein. Cells are cultivated in Ham's nutrient mixture F12 medium with 10% fetal calf serum, in a 37° C., 95% humidity and 5% CO₂ incubator. The CHO-K1/hOx1 cell mass is expanded to larger cell numbers. The cells are obtained as frozen cells in cryo-vials and stored until use at −150° C. The viability of the cells after thawing is >90%. In preparation for the assay, 24 hours before the assay, the cells are thawed at 37° C. and immediately diluted with cell culture medium. After centrifugation, the cell pellet is re-suspended in medium and then distributed into the assay plates with a density of 10000 cells/25 μL per well. The plates are incubated for one hour at room temperature to reduce edge effects before they are incubated for 24 hours at 37° C./5% CO₂. Compounds are prepared by an 8-point serial dilution in DMSO and a final dilution step into assay buffer (HBSS with 20 mM HEPES, 0.1% BSA and 50 mM LiCl, pH 7.4) to ensure a final DMSO concentration of 1% in the assay.

On the day of the assay, cells in the plate are washed twice with 60 μL assay buffer (20 μL buffer remained in the wells after washing), followed by adding 5 μL per well of compounds diluted in assay buffer. After 15 minutes of incubation at room temperature 5 μL per well of Orexin A peptide (final concentration: 0.5 nM and/or 50 nM) dissolved in assay buffer is added to the assay plate. The assay plate is incubated for 60 minutes at 37° C. Then 5 μl per well of Anti-IP1-Cryptate Tb solution and 5 μl per well of IP1-d2 dilution are added and the plate is incubated for a further 60 minutes light protected at room temperature. The emissions at 615 nm and 665 nm (Excitation wavelength: 320 nm) are measured using an EnVision reader (PerkinElmer). The ratio between the emission at 665 nm and 615 is calculated by the reader.

8-point four parametric non-linear curve fitting and determination of IC₅₀ values and Hill slopes is performed using a regular analysis software e.g. AssayExplorer (Accelrys). In order to establish an agonist concentration independent parameter, Kb values are calculated using the following equation: IC₅₀/((2+(A/EC₅₀)^(n))^(1/n)−1) (with A=concentration agonist, EC₅₀=EC₅₀ agonist, n=Hill slope agonist) (see P. Leff, I. G. Dougall, Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 1993, 14(4), 110-112).

B. In Vitro Testing of OX2R Potency: OX2R IP1

IP1 measurements are performed in CHO-K1 cells stably expressing the full-length human orexin 2 receptor and the aequorin photoprotein. Cells are cultivated in Ham's nutrient mixture F12 medium with 10% fetal calf serum, in a 37° C., 95% humidity and 5% CO₂ incubator. The CHO-K1/hOx2 cell mass is expanded to larger cell numbers. The cells are obtained as frozen cells in cryo-vials and stored until use at −150° C. The viability of the cells after thawing is >90%. In preparation for the assay, 24 hours before the assay, the cells are thawed at 37° C. and immediately diluted with cell culture medium. After centrifugation, the cell pellet is resuspended in medium and then distributed into the assay plates with a density of 5000 cells/25 μL per well. The plates are incubated for one hour at room temperature to reduce edge effects before they are incubated for 24 hours at 37° C./5% CO₂. Compounds are prepared by a 8-point serial dilution in DMSO and a final dilution step into assay buffer (HBSS with 20 mM HEPES, 0.1% BSA and 50 mM LiCl, pH 7.4) to ensure a final DMSO concentration of 1% in the assay. On the day of the assay, cells in the plate are washed twice with 60 μL assay buffer (20 μL buffer remained in the wells after washing), followed by adding 5 μL per well of compounds diluted in assay buffer. After 15 minutes of incubation at room temperature 5 μL per well of Orexin A peptide (final concentration: 0.5 nM) dissolved in assay buffer is added to the assay plate. The assay plate is incubated for 60 minutes at 37° C. Then 5 μl per well of Anti-IP1-Cryptate Tb solution and 5 μl per well of IP1-d2 dilution are added to all well of the plate and the plate is incubated for a further 60 minutes light protected at room temperature. The emission at 615 nm and 665 nm (Excitation wavelength: 320 nm) are measured using an EnVision reader (PerkinElmer). The ratio between the emission at 665 nm and 615 is calculated by the reader.

8-point four parametric non-linear curve fitting and determination of IC₅₀ values and Hill slopes is performed using a regular analysis software e.g. AssayExplorer (Accelrys). In order to establish an agonist concentration independent parameter, Kb values are calculated using the following equation: IC₅₀/((2+(A/EC₅₀)^(n))^(1/n)−1) (with A=concentration agonist, EC₅₀=EC₅₀ agonist, n=Hill slope agonist) (see P. Leff, I. G. Dougall, Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 1993, 14(4), 110-112).

Kb values from Assay A (OX1R) and Assay B (OX2R) can then provide a selectivity ratio which is independent of the agonist (Orexin A) concentration.

C. Assessment of Metabolic Stability in Human Liver Microsomes (Human MST)

The metabolic stability of the compounds according to the invention may be investigated as follows:

The metabolic degradation of the test compound is assayed at 37° C. with pooled human liver microsomes. The final incubation volume of 100 μL per time point contains TRIS buffer pH 7.6 at room temperature (0.1 M), MgCl₂ (5 mM), microsomal protein (1 mg/mL) and the test compound at a final concentration of 1 μM. Following a short pre-incubation period at 37° C., the reactions are initiated by addition of beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form (NADPH, 1 mM), and terminated by transferring an aliquot into solvent after different time points. After centrifugation (10000 g, 5 min), an aliquot of the supernatant is assayed by LC-MS/MS for the amount of parent compound. The half-life (t_(1/2)) is determined by the slope of the semi-logarithmic plot of the concentration-time profile.

Biological Data

Comparison of Assays A and B with the Assays Described in WO2013/187466

Assays described in WO2013/187466 differ from assays A and B in:

-   -   The technology and readout: fluorescence measurement of         intracellular Ca²⁺ changes (WO2013/187466) instead of         luminescence measurement of IP1 (assays A and B)     -   OX1R and OX2R overexpressing cell lines used for the assays         described in WO 2013/187466 are of different origin as cell         lines used for assays A and B     -   Use of modified orexin A (2 amino acids substituted) as agonist         instead of orexin A     -   Agonist concentration of 300 pM used for the OX1R assay and 3 nM         for the OX2R assay (EC75 vs. EC100; according to Okumura T. et         al., Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2001)         (WO2013/187466). IC₅₀ values that have been reported are         dependent on the agonist concentration. Selectivity ratios         calculated from these IC₅₀ values cannot be compared with the         selectivity ratios calculated from the agonist concentration         independent Kb values obtained from assay A and B.

Due to these differences between the assays, a direct comparison has to be established. Therefore, examples 69, 70 (the most selective ones) and 5 (one of the most potent ones) described in WO2013/187466 are tested in assays A and B so as to be directly compared with compounds of the present invention (see Table 1).

TABLE 1 In vitro potencies of compounds of WO2013/187466 as reported therein versus as determined in the Assays A and B (described above) As determined in Assays A and B As described in OX1R Kb OX2R Kb WO2013/187466 [nM] [nM] (0.5 OX2R (Orexin A nM Orexin OX2R OX1R OX2R IC₅₀/ concen- A Kb/ Structure IC₅₀ IC₅₀ OX1R tration concen- OX1R Example # in WO2013/187466 [nM] [nM] IC₅₀ used) tration) Kb

1.6 1896 1185 2.25 (0.5 nM) 98 43

1.1 452 411 0.72 (50 nM) 29 40

0.5 76 152 0.94 (50 nM) 28 30

TABLE 2 In vitro potencies of the structurally closest prior art compounds (Example 14, 40, 47 and 70) WO2016/034882 as reported therein: As described in WO2016/034882 (Table 1, page 178) Structure OX2R IC₅₀/ Example # in WO2016/034882 OX1R OX2R OX1R IC₅₀

Table 1: pIC₅₀ = 8.3 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 5.0 nM Table 2: pIC₅₀ = 7.8 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 16 nM Table 3: not reported Table 1: pIC₅₀ = 6.8 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 158 nM Table 2: pIC₅₀ = 7.2 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 63 nM Table 3: not reported Table 1:    32 Table 2:     4

Table 1: pIC₅₀ = 7.8 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 16 nM Table 2 and 3: not reported Table 1: pIC₅₀ = 5.6 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 2500 nM Table 2 and 3: not reported Table 1:    156

Table 1: pIC₅₀ = 7.5 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 32 nM Table 2: pIC₅₀ = 8.4 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 3.9 nM Table 3: pIC₅₀ = 8.6 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 2.5 nM Table 1: pIC₅₀ = 5.2 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 6300 nM Table 2: pIC₅₀ < 5.1 corresponds to IC₅₀ > 7900 nM Table 3: pIC₅₀ < 5.4 corresponds to IC₅₀ > 3950 nM Table 1:    197 Table 2: >2026 Table 3: >1580

Table 1 and 2: not reported Table 3: pIC₅₀ = 8.8 corresponds to IC₅₀ = 1.6 nM Table 1 and 2: not reported Table 3: pIC₅₀ = 5.3 corresponds to IC₅₀ > 5000 nM Table 3: >3125

Table 3 shows a comparison of biological data on the OX1R and OX2R potencies of the compounds of the present invention with the closest prior art compounds in WO2016/034882.

Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 18, 22, 24, 25, and 33 of the present invention differ structurally from Example 40 in WO2016/034882, the closest prior art compound, in that a) they contain a central N-ethyl-(propan-2-yl)amino moiety in place of the N-methyl-[butan-2-yl]amino moiety; b) they contain a —O-pyrazinyl moiety instead of the —N-pyrazinyl substituent, and c) the phenyl group carries no or a different substituent or has a different substitution pattern.

Examples 9, 12, 14, 15, 28, and 32 are characterized by additional structural features thereby differing structurally further from Example 40 in WO2016/034882 in that the phenyl group is substituted with a 5-membered heteroaryl ring other than triazoyl.

These structural differences unexpectedly result in an increase in OX1R selectivity as well as a markedly improved stability in human liver microsomes.

Example 10 of the present invention differs structurally from Examples 47 and 70 in WO2016/034882, the closest prior art compound, in that a) it contains a central N-ethyl-(propan-2-yl)amino moiety in place of the N-methyl-[butan-2-yl]amino moiety or N-ethyl-[butan-2-yl]amino moiety; b) it contains a —O-pyrazinyl moiety instead of the —N-pyrazinyl substituent, and c) it contains a phenyl group instead of a pyridyl group which carries the methyl substituent in a different position compared to Examples 47 and 70 in WO2016/034882. These structural differences unexpectedly result in an increase in OX1R selectivity as well as a markedly improved stability in human liver microsomes.

Examples 29, 27 and 30 of the present invention differ structurally from Example 14 in WO2016/034882, the closest prior art compound, in that they contain a central N-ethyl-(propan-2-yl)amino moiety in place of the N-methyl-[propan-2-yl]amino moiety and contain a CF₃-substituted —O-pyrazinyl group instead of the Cl-substituted —N-pyridyl group. In addition, they differ structurally from Example 14 in WO2016/034882 in that the phenyl group is substituted with a pyrimidyl ring in place of the second phenyl group. Examples 27 and 29 differ structurally further in that they have a fluoro substituent at the phenyl group. Unexpectedly, these structural differences lead to an increase in OX1R selectivity as well as a markedly improved stability in human liver microsomes.

These results demonstrate that compounds of the present invention are unexpectedly superior to the structurally closest examples disclosed in WO2016/034882 (closest prior art compounds) with regard to stability in human liver microsomes and the higher selectivity ratio (OX2R/OX1R).

TABLE 3 Comparison of biological data of the compounds of the present invention with the closest prior art compounds in WO2016/034882 Assay A Assay B OX1R OX2R Kb Assay Kb [nM] [nM] (0.5 nM OX2R C: (Orexin A Orexin A Kb/ Human concen- concen- OX1R MST t_(1/2) Example Structure tration) tration) Kb [min] Ex 40 in WO2016/ 034882

0.73 (0.5 nM) 38   52 9  1

0.97 (0.5 nM) 173  179 >130  2

 4.5 (0.5 nM) 572  127 >130  3

 2.1 (0.5 nM) 476  227 >130  4

 5.5 (0.5 nM) 714  130 >130  6

 3.0 (0.5 nM) 1074  358 >130  7

13 (0.5 nM) 1467  113 >130  8

 0 88 (0.5 nM)  0.80 (50 nM) 230  261  288 73 18

 1.7 (0.5 nM)  1.8 (50 nM) 731  430  406 71 22

 2.1 (0.5 nM and 50 nM) 360  171 >130 24

 1.1 (0.5 nM)  1.0 (50 nM) 116  105  116 91 25

12 (0.5 nM) 934   78 23 33

 2.5 (0.5 nM) 352  141 >130  9

 5.4 (0.5 nM) 929  172 25 12

12 (0.5 nM) 2874  240 >130 14

 4.6 (0.5 nM) 5221 1135 89 15

 1.3 (0.5 nM)  2.3 (50 nM) 387  297  168 91 28

 3.9 (0.5 nM) 550  141 39 32

 2.1 (0.5 nM) 232  110 66 Ex 47 in WO2016/ 034882

 0.84 (0.5 nM)  0.53 (50 nM) 107  127  203 14 Ex 70 in WO2016/ 034882

 0.14 (50 nM) 43  307 20 10

 0.44 (50 nM) 216  491 80 Ex 14 in WO2016/ 034882

 0.171 (50 nM) 4.7   27 2 29

 0.64 (0.5 nM)  0.51 (50 nM) 179  280  358 >130 30

 0.55 (0.5 nM)  0.63 (50 nM) 126  229  200 >130 27

 1.0 (0.5 nM) 440  440 >130

Use in Treatment/Method of Use

The present invention is directed to compounds which are useful in the treatment of a disease, disorder and condition wherein the antagonisms of OX1R is of therapeutic benefit, including but not limited to the treatment and/or prevention of psychiatric and neurological conditions associated with impulse control deficits. Such impulse control deficits are seen in addictions including substance use disorders; personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder; eating disorders such as binge eating disorder; or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. According to a further aspect of the invention, compounds of the present invention are useful in the treatment of OX1R related pathophysiological disturbances in arousal/wakefulness, appetite/food intake, cognition, motivated behaviours/reward, mood and stress.

In view of their pharmacological effect, compounds of the present invention are suitable for use in the treatment of a disease or condition selected from the list consisting of

(1) treatment or prevention of substance abuse/dependence/seeking or addiction as well as relapse prevention (including but not limited to drugs, such as cocaine, opiates such as morphine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, nicotine/tobacco and other psychostimulants), alcoholism and alcohol-related disorders, drug abuse or addiction or relapse, tolerance to narcotics or withdrawal from narcotics,

(2) eating disorders, such as binge eating, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, other specified feeding or eating disorders, obesity, overweight, cachexia, appetite/taste disorders, vomiting, nausea, Prader-Willi-Syndrome, hyperphagia, appetite/taste disorders,

(3) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders, attention problems and related disorders, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, restless legs syndrome, dementia, dyskinesia, severe mental retardation, neurodegenerative disorders including nosological entities such as disinhibition-dementia-parkinsonism-amyotrophy complex, pallido-ponto-nigral degeneration,

(4) cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric or neurological disorder, cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological and psychiatric disorders,

(5) mood disorders, bipolar disorder, mania, depression, manic depression, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, aggression such as impulsive aggression, suicidality, frontotemporal dementia, obsessive compulsive disorder, delirium, affective neurosis/disorder, depressive neurosis/disorder, anxiety neurosis, dysthymic disorder,

(6) sexual disorder, sexual dysfunction, psychosexual disorder,

(7) impulse control disorders such as pathological gambling, trichotillomania, intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, pyromania, compulsive shopping, internet addiction, sexual compulsion,

(8) sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, jetlag, sleep apnea, insomnia, parasomnia, disturbed biological and circadian rhythms, sleep disturbances associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders,

(9) treatment, prevention and relapse control of impulsivity and/or impulse control deficits and/or behavioural disinhibition in any psychiatric and/or neurological condition,

(10) personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, paranoid personality disorder, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, other specified and non-specified personality disorders

(11) neurological diseases, such as cerebral oedema and angioedema, cerebral dementia like e.g. Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia; multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy, drug resistant epilepsy, seizure disorders, stroke, myasthenia gravis, brain and meningeal infections like encephalomyelitis, meningitis, HIV as well as schizophrenia, delusional disorders, autism, affective disorders and tic disorders.

The applicable daily dose of compounds of the present invention may vary from 0.1 to 2000 mg. The actual pharmaceutically effective amount or therapeutic dose will depend on factors known by those skilled in the art such as age and weight of the patient, route of administration and severity of disease. In any case, the drug substance is to be administered at a dose and in a manner which allows a pharmaceutically effective amount to be delivered that is appropriate to the patient's condition.

Pharmaceutical Compositions

Suitable preparations for administering the compounds of the present invention will be apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art and include for example tablets, pills, capsules, suppositories, lozenges, troches, solutions, syrups, elixirs, sachets, injectables, inhalatives, powders, etc. The content of the pharmaceutically active compound(s) may vary in the range from 0.1 to 95 wt.-%, preferably 5.0 to 90 wt.-% of the composition as a whole.

Suitable tablets may be obtained, for example, by mixing a compound of the present invention with known excipients, for example inert diluents, carriers, disintegrants, adjuvants, surfactants, binders and/or lubricants and pressing the resulting mixture to form tablets.

Combination Therapy

Compounds according to the present invention can be combined with other treatment options known to be used in the art in connection with a treatment of any of the indications the treatment of which is in the focus of the present invention.

Among such treatment options that are considered suitable for combination with the treatment according to the present inventions are:

-   -   Antidepressants     -   Mood stabilizers     -   Antipsychotics     -   Anxiolytics     -   Antiepileptic drugs     -   Sleeping agents     -   Cognitive enhancer     -   Stimulants     -   Non-stimulant medication for attention deficit hyperactivity         disorder     -   Additional psychoactive drugs.

General Synthetic Methods

The invention also provides a process for making compounds of Formula (I). Unless specified otherwise, R¹, R², R³ and Ar in the formulas below shall have the meaning as defined for formula I in the detailed description of the invention above.

Optimum reaction conditions and reaction times may vary depending on the particular reactants used. Unless otherwise specified, solvents, temperatures, pressures, and other reaction conditions may be readily selected by one of ordinary skill in the art. Specific procedures are provided in the Synthetic Examples section. Typically, reaction progress may be monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) if desired, and intermediates and products may be purified by chromatography and/or by recrystallization.

The examples which follow are illustrative and, as recognized by one skilled in the art, particular reagents or conditions could be modified as needed for individual compounds without undue experimentation. Starting materials and intermediates used, in the methods below, are either commercially available or easily prepared from commercially available materials by those skilled in the art.

Compounds of Formula I can be synthesized by the method illustrated in Scheme 1:

As shown in scheme 1, reacting the alcohol of formula II with a halo pyrazine III (X=halide) in a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction, in a suitable solvent such as dioxane, THF or DMF and in the presence of a suitable base such as potassium tert-butoxide or NaH, provides an ether of formula IV. Debenzylation reactions are described in ‘Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis’, 3′ edition, T. W. Greene and P. G. M. Wuts, Wiley-Interscience (1999). Debenzylation of compound IV using 1-chloroethylchloroformate as a hydrogenating reagent may be used in a suitable solvent such as 1,2-dichloroethane to provide an amine of formula V.

Peptide coupling reactions known to the person skilled in the art (see for example M. Bodanszky, 1984, The Practice of Peptide Synthesis, Springer-Verlag) can be applied to react the secondary amine of formula V with a carboxylic acid of formula VI to yield a compound of formula I. For example, amine V and carboxylic acid VI in a suitable solvent such as acetonitrile or DMF in the presence of a base such as DIPEA yields upon treatment with the coupling agent 2-chloro-4,5-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-1H-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate (CIP) or 1-[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]-1H-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b]pyridinium 3-oxid hexafluorophosphate (HATU) a compound of formula I.

Alternatively, compounds of Formula (I) can be synthesized as illustrated in Scheme 2:

Debenzylation reactions are described in ‘Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis’, 3′ edition, T. W. Greene and P. G. M. Wuts, Wiley-Interscience (1999). Debenzylation of compound II in a suitable solvent such as MeOH, under a pressure of hydrogen in the presence of a suitable catalyst such as Pd/C results in a secondary amine of formula VII.

Peptide coupling reactions known to the person skilled in the art (see for example M. Bodanszky, 1984, The Practice of Peptide Synthesis, Springer-Verlag) can be applied to react the secondary amine of formula VII with a carboxylic acid of formula VI to yield a compound of formula VIII. For example, carboxylic acid VI in a suitable solvent such as DCM, DMF and toluene upon treatment with thionyl chloride or oxalyl chloride yields an acid chloride which is then treated with an amine of formula VII, in a suitable solvent such as DCM and THF, in the presence of a suitable base such as TEA, to provide a compound of formula VIII. Other peptide coupling reagents such as HATU in a suitable solvent such as DMF in the presence of a suitable base such as DIPEA may be used.

Reacting the alcohol of formula VIII with a halo pyrazine III (X=halide) in a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction, in a suitable solvent such as dioxane, DMSO or DMF and in the presence of a suitable base such as potassium tert-butoxide or NaH, provides a compound of formula I.

Alternatively, an alcohol of formula VIII can be synthesized as illustrated in Scheme 3:

Peptide coupling reactions known to the person skilled in the art (see for example M. Bodanszky, 1984, The Practice of Peptide Synthesis, Springer-Verlag) can be applied to react a secondary amine of formula IX, in which the protecting group (PG) may be a tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl group, with a carboxylic acid of formula VI to yield a compound of formula X. For example, a peptide coupling reagents such as TBTU or HATU in a suitable solvent such as DMF in the presence of a suitable base such as DIPEA may be used. Alkylation of the amide X using a suitable alkylation agent such as ethyl iodide in a suitable solvent such as DMF and a suitable base such as potassium tert-butoxide yields amide XI.

Deprotection reactions described in ‘Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis’, 3′ edition, T. W. Greene and P. G. M. Wuts, Wiley-Interscience (1999) can be applied in providing alcohol VIII from compound XI. For example tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride in a suitable solvent such as THF may be used.

Intermediate carboxylic acids V are commercially available or they can be synthesized according or in analogy to methods described in the literature.

EXPERIMENTAL SECTION List of Abbreviations

-   RT room temperature -   ESI-MS electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry -   CIP 2-chloro-4,5-dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-1H-imidazolium     hexafluorophosphate -   aq. aqueous -   dppf 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene -   MS mass spectrum -   MeOH methanol -   EtOH ethanol -   EA ethyl acetate -   DMF N,N-dimethylformamide -   DMSO dimethylsulfoxide -   DCM dichloromethane -   THF tetrahydrofuran -   DIPEA N,N-diisopropylethylamine -   HATU     1-[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]-1H-1,2,3-triazolo[4,5-b]pyridinium     3-oxid hexafluorophosphate -   TBTU O-(benzotriazol-1-yl)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-uronium     tetrafluoroborate -   Rt retention time -   d day(s) -   h hour(s) -   min minutes -   sat. saturated -   ACN acetonitrile -   TFA trifluoroacetic acid -   M molarity -   N normality -   HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography -   HPLC-MS high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry -   LC-MS liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry -   TLC thin layer chromatography -   TEA triethylamine

HPLC-Methods:

Method Name: A

Column: Venusil XBP-C18, 2.1×50 mm, 5 μm

Column Supplier: Agela Technologies

% Sol % Sol Gradient/Solvent [H₂O, 0.0375% [ACN, 0.018% Flow Temp Time [min] TFA] TFA] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 90 10 0.8 50 0.40 90 10 0.8 50 3.40 0 100 0.8 50 3.85 0 100 0.8 50 3.86 90 10 0.8 50 4.50 90 10 0.8 50

Method Name: B

Column: Sunfire C18, 2.1×30 mm, 2.5 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol Flow Temp Time [min] [H2O, 0.1% TFA] [Acetonitril] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 99 1 1.5 60 0.02 99 1 1.5 60 1.00 0 100 1.5 60 1.10 0 100 1.5 60

Method Name: C

Column: Chromolith Flash RP-18e 25-2 mm

Column Supplier: Merck

% Sol % Sol Gradient/Solvent [H₂O, 0.0375% [ACN, Flow Temp Time [min] TFA] 0.018% TFA] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 95 5 1.5 40 0.70 5 95 1.5 40 1.15 5 95 1.5 40 1.16 95 5 1.5 40 1.60 5 95 1.5 40

Method Name: D

Column: XBridge BEH Phenyl, 2.1×30 mm, 1.7 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol Flow Temp Time [min] [H2O, 0.1% NH3] [Acetonitril] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 95 5 1.3 60 0.02 95 5 1.3 60 1.00 0 100 1.3 60 1.10 0 100 1.3 60

Method Name: E

Column: XBridge C18, 4.6×30 mm, 3.5 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol Flow Temp Time [min] [H2O, 0.1% NH3] [Acetonitril] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 97 3 5 60 0.02 97 3 5 60 1.60 0 100 5 60 1.70 0 100 5 60

Method Name: F

Column: XBridge C18, 3×30 mm, 2.5 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol Flow Temp Time [min] [H2O, 0.1% NH3] [Acetonitril] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 97 3 2.2 60 0.02 97 3 2.2 60 1.20 0 100 2.2 60 1.25 0 100 3 60 1.40 0 100 3 60

Method Name: G

Column: Acquity BEH C18, 2.1×50 mm, 1.7 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol [ACN, Flow Temp Time [min] [H2O, 0.1% TFA] 0.1% TFA] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.0 97.0 3.0 0.55 35 0.4 97.0 3.0 0.55 35 3.2 2.0 98.0 0.55 35 3.8 2.0 98.0 0.55 35 4.2 2.0 98.0 0.55 35 4.5 97.0 3.0 0.55 35

Method Name: H

Column: Sunfire C18, 2.1×30 mm, 2.5 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol Flow Temp Time [min] [H2O, 0.1% TFA] [Acetonitril] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 99 1 1.3 60 0.02 99 1 1.3 60 1.00 0 100 1.3 60 1.10 0 100 1.3 60

Method Name: J

Column: Acquity BEH C18, 2.1×50 mm, 1.7 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol [ACN, Flow Temp Time [min] [H₂O, 0.1% TFA] 0.1% TFA] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.0 3.0 97.0 0.6 25° C. 0.4 3.0 97.0 0.6 25° C. 3.2 98.0 2.0 0.6 25° C. 3.8 98.0 2.0 0.6 25° C. 4.2 3.0 97.0 0.6 25° C. 4.5 3.0 97.0 0.6 25° C.

Method Name: K

Column: Luna-C18 3 μm, 2.0*30 mm

Column Supplier: Phenomenex

% Sol % Sol Gradient/Solvent [H₂O, 0.0375% [ACN, 0.018% Flow Temp Time [min] TFA] TFA] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 90 10 1.0 40 1.15 20 80 1.0 40 1.55 20 80 1.0 40 1.56 90 10 1.0 40 2.00 90 10 1.0 40

Method Name: L

Column: XBridge BEH C18, 2.1×30 mm, 1.7 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

Gradient/Solvent % Sol % Sol Flow Temp Time [min] [H2O, 0.1% NH3] [Acetonitril] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 95 5 1.3 60 0.02 95 5 1.3 60 1.00 0 100 1.3 60 1.10 0 100 1.3 60

Method Name: M

Column: BEH C18 1.7 μm 2.1×50 mm

Column Supplier: Waters

% Sol [90% H₂O + 10% % Sol Gradient/Solvent ACN + NH₄COOH [90% ACN + Flow Temp Time [min] 5 mM] 10% H2O] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 100 0 0.7 35 1.20 0 100 0.7 35 1.45 0 100 0.7 35 1.55 100 0 0.7 35 1.75 100 0 0.7 35

Method Name: N

Column: Xselect CSH, 2.5 μm, 4.6×50 mm

Column Supplier: Waters

% Sol % Sol [90% H₂O + 10% [90% ACN + Gradient/Solvent ACN + 0.1% 10% H₂O + Flow Temp Time [min] HCOOH] 0.1% HCOOH] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 100 0 1.4 RT 4.00 0 100 1.4 RT 5.30 0 100 1.4 RT 5.50 100 0 1.4 RT 6.00 100 0 1.4 RT

Method Name: O

Column: Synergi Hydro RP100A, 2.5 μm, 3×50 mm

Column Supplier: Phenomenex

% Sol [90% H₂O + 10% % Sol Gradient/Solvent ACN + 5 mM [90% ACN + Flow Temp Time [min] NH₄COOH] 10% H₂O] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 100 0 1.2 RT 4.00 0 100 1.2 RT 5.30 0 100 1.2 RT 5.50 100 0 1.2 RT 6.00 100 0 1.2 RT

Method Name: P

Column: Luna-C18 5 μm, 2.0*50 mm

Column Supplier: Phenomenex

% Sol % Sol Gradient/Solvent [H₂O, 0.0375% [ACN, 0.018% Flow Temp Time [min] TFA] TFA] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.00 99 1 0.8 40 0.40 99 1 0.8 40 3.40 0 100 0.8 40 3.85 0 100 0.8 40 3.86 99 1 0.8 40 4.50 99 1 0.8 40

Method Name: R

Column: Sunfire C18_3.0×30 mm_2.5 μm

Column Supplier: Waters

% Sol Gradient/Solvent [H2O, 0.1% % Sol Flow Temp Time [min] TFA (v/v)] [Acetonitril] [mL/min] [° C.] 0.0 98.0 2.0 2.0 60 1.2 0.0 100.0 2.0 60 1.4 0.0 100.0 2.0 60

HPLC traces and NMR spectra of the examples and some advanced intermediates are of increased complexity due to the fact that these compounds exist in an equilibrium of multiple rotameric forms. In the case of multiple peaks in the HPLC spectrum, the retention time of the main peak is reported.

Preparation of Intermediates Acid Intermediates

Intermediate Name Structure Reference/Source A-1 2-[1,2,3]Triazol-2- yl-benzoic acid

WO2008/143856, page 30, Compound B-1 A-2 5-Methyl-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2008/8518 page 31, compound A-3 A-3 4-Methyl-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2013/50938, Page 62, Intermediate B1.17 A-4 3-Methyl-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50200, Page 68-69, Intermediate 37 A-5 4,5-Dimethyl-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2013/50938, Page 61, Intermediate B1.14 A-6 3,4-Dimethyl-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2013/68935, Page 58; Intermediate E-20 A-7 3-Fluoro-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50198, Page 47, Intermediate 5 A-8 4-Chloro-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50198, Page 47, Intermediate 6 A-9 4-Fluoro-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50200, Page 54, Intermediate 16 A-10 5-Fluoro-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50198, Page 45-46, Intermediate 1 A-11 4,5-Difluoro-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2013/68935, Page 58; Intermediate E-24 A-12 2-[1,2,3]Triazol-2- yl-5- trifluoromethyl- benzoic acid

WO2012/85852, Page 50, Intermediate 37 A-13 5-Methoxy-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50198, Page 49, Intermediate 10 A-14 5-Methyl-2- pyrazol-1-yl- benzoic acid

WO2013/50938, Page 62, Intermediate B1.21 A-15 5-Fluoro-2- pyrazol-1-yl- benzoic acid

commercially available from Matrix Scientific: catalog number 053712, MDL number MFCD09054728 A-16 2-(3-Methyl- [1,2,4]oxadiazol- 5-yl)-benzoic acid

commercially available from Apollo Scientific catalog number OR2076, MDL number: MFCD08741426 A-17 4-Fluoro-2- pyrimidin-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50200, page 95, Intermediate 85 A-18 2-[1,2,3]Triazol- 2-yl-4- trifluoromethyl- benzoic acid

WO2013/68935, Page 58; Intermediate E-21 A-19 2-Pyrazol-1-yl- benzoic acid

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1958, 80, 6271 A-20 2-Pyrrol-1-yl- benzoic acid

e.g. J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1980, 97; commercially available from Alfa Aesar reference L06069, registry number 10333-68-3 MDL number MFCD00051645 A-21 4-Methoxy-2- [1,2,3]triazol-2- yl-benzoic acid

WO2011/50198, Page 73-74, Intermediate 73 A-22 3-Fluoro-2- pyrimidin-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50200, page 78, Intermediate 52 A-24 5-Fluoro-2- pyrimidin-2-yl- benzoic acid

WO2011/50200, page 54-57, Intermediate 17

2-Pyrimidin-2-yl-benzoic acid A-23

Step 1: A stirred mixture of A-23.1 (30.0 g, 140 mmol), A-23.2 (38.8 g, 154 mmol), Pd(dppf)Cl₂.DCM (11.4 g, 14.0 mmol) and potassium acetate (54.7 g, 558 mmol) in dioxane (300 mL) is heated at 100° C. for 2 h. After cooling, the reaction is quenched with water and EA and the mixture filtered through a pad of celite. The phases are separated and the organic layer is dried, filtered and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography (1-2% EA in hexane) to obtain A-23.3. ESI-MS: 263 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 2.54 min (method J)

Step 2: A stirred mixture of A-23.3 (25.0 g, 95.4 mmol), A-23.4 (12.0 g, 105 mmol), Pd(dppf)Cl₂.DCM (7.78 g, 9.54 mmol) and sodium carbonate (40.4 g, 382 mmol) in 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran (300 mL) and water (150 mL) is heated at 100° C. for 15 h. The reaction is cooled to RT and quenched with water and EA and filtered through a pad of celite. The layers are separated, the organic layer is dried, filtered and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (EA/hexane=1:4) to provide 15.0 g of A-23.5. ESI-MS: 215 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.42 min (method G)

Step 3: A stirred mixture of A-23.5 (15.0 g, 70 mmol) and NaOH (4M aq. solution, 52.5 mL, 210 mmol) in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (200 mL) is heated at 50° C. for 2 h. The organic solvent is distilled off, the aqueous layer acidified with conc. HCl and extracted with DCM. The combined organic phases are dried, filtered and concentrated. The residue is triturated with n-pentane yielding 5.8 g of A-23. ESI-MS: 201 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.39 min (method J)

2-(5-Methyl-oxazol-2-yl)-benzoic acid A-25

Step 1: To mixture of A-25.1 (2.00 g, 11.1 mmol) in DCM (100 mL) is added DMF (90.3 μl, 1.11 mmol) and the mixture is cooled to 0° C. Thionyl chloride (805 μl, 11.1 mmol) is added and stirred for 1 h at RT. The mixture is cooled to 0° C. and DIPEA (3.87 mL, 22.2 mmol) and A-25.2 (853.2 μl, 13.3 mmol) is added and the mixture is stirred for 45 min at 0° C. A NH₄Cl (sat. aq. solution) is added and extracted with DCM. The organic phase is washed with a NH₄Cl (sat. aq. solution), water, NaHCO₃ (sat. aq. solution), water and brine. The organic phase is concentrated and dioxane (100 mL) is added, the mixture is cooled with an ice bath, NaH (60% in mineral oil, 488 mg, 12.2 mmol) is added and the mixture stirred for 30 min at RT and then heated to reflux for 4 h. After cooling the reaction mixture, NH₄Cl (sat. aq. solution, 5 mL) is added, the mixture is concentrated and then extracted with DCM. The organic phase is washed with NH₄Cl (sat. aq. solution) and water, dried, concentrated and the crude is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient cyclohexane/EA 8/2) to provide 0.24 g of A-25.3. ESI-MS: 218 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.95 min (method M)

Step 2: A mixture of A-25.3 (390 mg, 1.82 mmol), LiOH monohydrate (151 mg, 3.59 mmol) in THF (30 mL) and water (10 mL) is heated at reflux for 5 h. Another portion of LiOH monohydrate (151 mg, 3.59 mmol) is added and the reaction heated at reflux for 4 h and stirred over night at RT. After cooling the reaction mixture is acidified with HCl (4M aq. solution) and extracted with EA. The organic phase is concentrated to provide 0.17 g of compound A-25. ESI-MS: 204 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.48 min (method M)

2-(2-Methyl-oxazol-5-yl)-benzoic acid A-26

Step 1: To a mixture of A-26.2 (17.0 g, 52.8 mmol) in DCM (250 mL) is added A-26.3 (15.9 g, 106 mmol) and the reaction stirred for 1 h. Then A-26.1 (6.50 g, 26.4 mmol) and A-26.4 (10.8 g, 264 mmol) is added and the reaction is stirred at 45° C. for 5 h. The pH of the reaction mixture is adjusted to pH8 with NaHCO₃ (sat. aq. solution), the mixture is extracted with DCM and the combined organic layers are dried and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient of petrol ether:EA from 40:1 to 20:1) to provide 2.25 g of A-26.5. ESI-MS: 286 [M+H]+; HPLC (Rt): 1.55 min (method K)

Step 2: A mixture of A-26.5 (2.25 g, 7.89 mmol), TEA (3.99 g, 39.5 mmol) and Pd(dppf)Cl₂.DCM (0.58 g, 0.79 mmol) in MeOH (70 mL) is stirred at 50° C. and under a pressure of carbon monoxide (50 psi) for 16 h. The mixture is concentrated and purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient petroleum ether:EA from 80:1 to 40:1) to provide 2.00 g of A-26.6. ESI-MS: 218 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.71 min (method C)

Step 3: A mixture of A-26.6 (2.00 g, 9.21 mmol), MeOH (10 mL) and LiOH monohydrate (0.46 g, 11.05 mmol) is stirred at 25° C. for 16 h. The organic solvent is evaporated, the residue is acidified with HCl (1M aq. solution) to pH3-4. The precipitate is filtered and dried to provide 1.39 g of A-26. ESI-MS: 204 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 2.38 min (method Q)

3,5-Difluoro-2-[1,2,3]triazol-2-yl-benzoic acid A-27

Step 1: A mixture of A-27.1 (9.80 g, 53.6 mmol) in water (70 mL) and H₂SO₄ (25 mL, 0.48 mol) is cooled to 0° C. Then NaNO₂ (4.8 g, 69 mmol) in H₂O (20 mL) is added dropwise and the reaction mixture is stirred for 1.5 h. To this mixture KI (44.5 g, 268 mmol) in H₂O (40 mL) is added slowly. The reaction mixture is warmed to RT and then heated to 90° C. for 90 min. The mixture is allowed to cool to RT and a Na₂S₂O₃ (aq. solution) is added until the color disappears. The precipitate is filtered and then dissolved in NaOH (4 M aq. solution). The mixture is filtered, the filtrate is acidified with HCl (4M aq. solution) and the precipitate is filtered, washed with water and dried to give 9.0 g of A-27.2. ESI-MS: 285 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.74 min (method C)

Step 2: A mixture of A-27.2, (3.50 g, 11.1 mmol), A-27.3 (1.56 g, 22.2 mmol), CuI (0.18 g, 0.89 mmol), A-27.4 (0.70 mL, 4.44 mmol) and K₂CO₃ (3.46 g, 23.9 mmol) in DMF (10 mL) is heated to 100° C. by microwave for 1.5 h. The mixture is poured into water and extracted with EA, the organic phase is washed with water. The combined aqueous phases are acidified with HCl (0.5 M aq. solution) and extracted with EA. The organic phase is washed with brine, dried and concentrated to give the crude product which is purified by HPLC-MS (using a solvent gradient H₂O+0.075% TFA with 5-35% ACN) to provide 1.25 g of A-27. ESI-MS: 226 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.88 min (method A)

2-(5-Methyl-isoxazol-3-yl)-benzoic acid A-28

Step 1: A mixture of hydroxylamine hydrochloride (6.35 g, 91.4 mmol) and sodium acetate (12.0 g, 146 mmol) in water (30 mL) is added to a mixture of A-28.1 (3.00 g, 18.3 mmol) in EtOH (100 mL) and the reaction mixture stirred at RT for 4 h. The mixture is concentrated, the residue taken up in water and EA and the aqueous phase extracted with EA. The combined organic phases are washed with brine and dried, filtered and concentrated to provide 3.80 g of A-28.2. ESI-MS: 180 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.82 min (method M)

Step 2: To a mixture of A-28.2 (3.80 g, 17.2 mmol) in DMF (80 mL) at 0° C. is added A-28.3 (3.67 g, 27.5 mmol). The mixture is stirred at 40° C. for 3 h. Water is added and the mixture is extracted with EA. The combined organic phases are extracted with brine and concentrated to provide 2.40 g of A-28.4.

Step 3: A mixture of A-28.4 (0.61 g, 2.83 mmol) in DCM (12 mL) is cooled to 0° C. under nitrogen. A-28.5 (5.54 mL, 65.1 mmol) and TEA (1.18 mL, 8.50 mmol) is added and the reaction is stirred at RT overnight. Water is added and the mixture is extracted with DCM. The combined organic phases are extracted with brine and concentrated. The crude product is purified by HPLC-MS (using a solvent gradient H₂O/ACN with NH₄OH) to provide 0.28 g of A-28.6. ESI-MS: 218 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.00 min (method M)

Step 4: A mixture of A-28.6 (0.27 g, 1.24 mmol), LiOH monohydrate (0.13 g, 3.11 mmol) in THF (30 mL) and water (10 mL) is stirred for 5 h under reflux. After cooling it is acidified with HCl (4M aq. solution), extracted with EA and the combined organic phases are dried and concentrated to provide 0.23 g of A-28. ESI-MS: 204 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.51 min (method M)

3,4-Difluoro-2-[1,2,3]triazol-2-yl-benzoic acid A-29

A mixture of A-29.1 (9.00 g, 36.1 mmol), A-29.2 (5.25 g, 72.1 mmol), CuI (0.70 g, 3.61 mmol) and K₂CO₃ (11.27 g, 77.6 mmol) in DMF (100 mL) is heated to 120° C. for 16 h. The mixture is acidified with HCl (0.5 M aq. solution) to pH2. The mixture is extracted with EA, the organic phase is washed with brine, dried and concentrated to give the crude product which is purified by HPLC-MS (using a solvent gradient H₂O+0.075% TFA with 5-35% ACN) to provide 3.03 g of A-29. ESI-MS: 248 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.45 min (method B)

3-Fluoro-2-(5-methyl-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-yl)-benzoic acid A-30

Step 1: To a mixture of A-30.1 (2.00 g, 8.42 mmol) in dry DCM (50 mL) is added A-30.2 (0.83 g, 10.1 mmol) and the reaction is stirred at RT for 1 h. Additional A-30.2 (0.83 g, 10.1 mmol) is added and the reaction is stirred overnight. MeOH (5 mL) is added and the solvent is reduced to half the volume, the precipitate is filtered off to provide 1.50 g of A-30.3. ESI-MS: 275/277 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.09 min (method D)

Step 2: To a mixture of A-30.3 (1.50 g, 5.45 mmol) in dry DCM (50 mL) is added A-30.4 (2.70 g, 11.3 mmol) and the reaction is stirred overnight. Additional A-30.4 (1.00 g) is added and stirred for 3 h. Na₂CO₃ (2M aq. solution) is added, the organic phase is extracted with Na₂CO₃ (2M aq. solution), the combined organic phases are washed with brine, dried and concentrated to provide 0.86 g of A-30.5. ESI-MS: 257/259 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.46 min (method D)

Step 3: To a mixture of A-30.5 (0.86 g, 2.68 mmol), dry MeOH (10 mL) and TEA (0.93 mL, 6.69 mmol), Pd(dppf)Cl₂.DCM (131 mg, 0.16 mmol) is added. The reaction is stirred at 70° C. and under a pressure of carbon monoxide (3 bar) for 4 h. The mixture is filtered and purified by HPLC-MS (using a solvent gradient H₂O/ACN with NH₄OH). The desired fractions are reduced to the half, extracted with EA, dried, filtrated and concentrated to provide 0.34 g of A-30.6. ESI-MS: 237 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.85 min (method E)

Step 4: A mixture of A-30.6 (0.34 g, 1.46 mmol), MeOH (4 mL) and NaOH (4M aq. solution, 1.82 mL, 7.28 mmol) is stirred at RT for 30 min. The mixture is reduced, acidified with HCl (4M aq. solution) to pH2 and extracted with EA, dried and concentrated to provide 0.31 g of A-30. ESI-MS: 223 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.10 min (method D)

The following examples are prepared in analogy to the above described procedure using the corresponding starting material:

ESI- Inter- MS HPLC me- me- [M + (Rt) thod diate Name Structure H]⁺ [min] Name A-31 4-Methyl-2- 5-methyl- [1,3,4] oxadiazol- 2-yl)- benzoic acid

271.3 0.22 D A-32 3-Methyl-2- (5-methyl- [1,3,4] oxadiazol- 2-yl)- benzoic acid

219.3 0.10 D

2-(5-Methyl-[1,2,4]oxadiazol-3-yl)-benzoic acid A-33

Step 1: A mixture of NH₂OH.HCl (28.6 g, 0.41 mol) and K₂CO₃ (56.9 g, 0.41 mol) in EtOH (500 mL) is stirred at 25° C. for 30 min. A-33.1 (30 g, 0.17 mol) is added and the reaction mixture is heated to 70° C. for 12 h. After filtration, the solvent is evaporated and the residue purified by flash column (PE/EA=5:1 to 2:1) to obtain 25.0 g of A-33.2.

Step 2: To a mixture of A-33.2 (18 g, 0.084 mol) in ACN (200 mL) is added acetic anhydride (10.3 g, 0.1 mol) and TEA (16.9 g, 0.17 mol). The mixture is stirred at 120° C. for 48 h. The mixture is concentrated and the residue purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (petroleum ether/EA=1/0 to 10/1) to afford 9.0 g of A-33.3. ESI-MS: 239/241 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.43 min (method K)

Step 3: To a mixture of A-33.3 (9.0 g, 0.038 mol) and TEA (11.5 g; 0.114 mol) in MeOH (200 mL) is added Pd(dppf)Cl₂.DCM (1.0 g, 1.2 mmol). The mixture is stirred at 50° C. under an atmosphere of carbon monoxide (50 psi) for 16 h. The mixture is concentrated and the residue purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (petroleum ether/EA=1/0 to 5/1) to afford 4.0 g of A-33.4. ESI-MS: 219 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.29 min (method K)

Step 4: To a mixture of A-33.4 (4.0 g, 0.018 mol) in MeOH (40 mL) and H₂O (4 mL) is added NaOH (1.47 g, 0.037 mol) at 25° C. under N₂. The mixture is stirred at 70° C. for 4 h. The mixture is concentrated. The residue is dissolved in H₂O, treated with HCl (aq. solution) until pH3 and filtered to obtain 2.16 g of A-33. ESI-MS: 205 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 2.13 min (method P)

Amine Intermediates (S)-2-Ethylamin-propan-1-ol hydrochloride B-1

Step 1: A mixture of B-1.1 (5.00 g, 66.57 mmol), B-1.2 (6.77 mL, 66.57 mmol) in THF (180 mL) is stirred at RT for 1 h. Sodium triacetoxyborohydride (44.55 g, 199.71 mmol) is added at 0° C. and the mixture is stirred at RT for 30 min. B-1.3 (11.21 mL, 199.71 mmol) in THF (20 mL) is added dropwise within 10 min at 0° C. and the mixture is stirred at RT overnight. Additional B-1.3 (10.00 mL) is added and the mixture is stirred at RT for 3 h. The precipitate is filtrated and washed with THF and DCM. NaHCO₃ (sat. aq. solution, 200 mL) and solid NaHCO₃ is added until gas formation is terminated. The water phase is extracted with DCM, dried and concentrated to provide 11.80 g of B-1.4. ESI-MS: 194 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.13 min (method E)

Step 2: To a mixture of B-1.4 (9.01 g, 46.62 mmol) in MeOH (200 mL) is added Pd/C (0.90 g). The reaction is stirred at RT and under a pressure of hydrogen (4 bar) for 4 h. The catalyst is filtered. HCl (4M aq. solution) in dioxan (14.00 mL, 56.00 mmol) is added and the mixture concentrated to provide 6.00 g of B-1.2. ESI-MS: 104 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.20 min (method L), ¹H NMR (500 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ ppm 1.17-1.22 (m, 3H), 2.94 (dqd, 2H), 3.11-3.20 (m, 1H), 3.51 (dd, 1H), 3.62 (dd, 1H).

(S)-2-(tert-Butyl-dimethyl-silanyloxy)-1-methyl-ethylamine B-2

To a stirred mixture of B-1.1 (2.00 g, 26.6 mmol) and B-2.1 (4.01 g, 26.6 mmol) in dry DCM (15 mL) a solution of TEA (5.39 g, 53.3 mmol) in dry DCM (15 mL) is added dropwise. The mixture is stirred at RT overnight. NH₄Cl (sat. aq. solution) is added and the aqueous phase is extracted with DCM, dried and concentrated to provide 4.70 g of B-2. ESI-MS: 190 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): min (method M), ¹H NMR (500 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ ppm 0.03 (s, 6H), 0.87 (s, 9H), 0.91 (d, J=6.36 Hz, 3H), 2.31 (s (broad), 2H), 2.79 (m, 1H), 3.27-3.35 (m, 2H)

Ethyl-[(S)-1-methyl-2-(5-trifluoromethyl-pyrazin-2-yloxy)-ethyl]-amine hydrochloride B-4

Step 1: A mixture of B-4.1 (0.55 g, 2.85 mmol) in dry dioxan (5 mL) is stirred in a sealed vial. Potassium tert-butoxide (0.64 g, 5.69 mmol) is added portion wise at RT. After 1 h B-4.2 (0.49 mL, 4.00 mmol) is added and the mixture is heated to 60° C. overnight. The mixture is poured into water and extracted with EA. The organic phase is washed with water, dried and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient from 100% n-hexane to 85% n-hexane and 15% EA) to provide 0.85 g of B-4.3. ESI-MS: 339 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.59 min (method M)

Step 2: To B-4.3 (0.70 g, 2.06 mmol) in dry 1,2-dichloroethane (10 mL) under nitrogen B-4.4 (0.27 mL, 2.48 mmol) is added at 0° C. The mixture is heated to reflux for 4 h. MeOH (10 mL) is added and the reaction is heated to 60° C. for 1 h. The solvent is evaporated and the crude is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient 100% DCM to 95% DCM and 5% MeOH with 0.5% NH₃). The product is taken up in EA and HCl (2M aq. solution) is added under stirring. The solvent is removed and the solid obtained is triturated with Et₂O then filtered to give 0.35 g of B-4. ESI-MS: 249 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.71 min (method M), ¹H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ ppm 1.22 (t, 3H), 1.35 (d, 3H), 3.04 (m, 2H), 3.67 (m, 1H), 4.53 (dd, 1H), 4.63 (dd, 1H), 8.52 (s, 1H), 8.79 (s, 1H), 8.65-9.0 (br s, 2H).

Alcohol Intermediates N-Ethyl-3-fluoro-N—((S)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-ethyl)-2-[1,2,3]triazol-2-yl-benzamide C-1

Step 1: A mixture of A-7 (1.24 g, 5.99 mmol) and thionyl chloride (9.00 mL, 123 mmol) in DMF (0.25 mL) and DCM (7.0 mL) is stirred at RT for 1 h. The mixture is concentrated to provide 1.68 g of C-1.1. ESI-MS: 222 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.53 min (method H)

Step 2: To a mixture of C-1.1 (1.68 g, 5.96 mmol), TEA (2.09 mL, 14.9 mmol), THF (50 mL) and DCM (20 mL) is added B-1 (0.92 g, 6.55 mmol). The mixture is stirred at RT overnight. The precipitate is filtered off, washed with EA and the filtrate is concentrated. The residue is purified by HPLC-MS (using a solvent gradient H₂O/ACN with NH₄OH) to provide 1.33 g of C-1. ESI-MS: 291 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.46 min (method H)

N-Ethyl-N—((S)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-ethyl)-2-(5-methyl-isoxazol-3-yl)-benzamide C-3

To a mixture of A-28 (0.15 g, 0.74 mmol) in DMF (10 mL) is added HATU (0.34 g, 0.89 mmol) and DIPEA (0.64 mL, 3.69 mmol) and the mixture is stirred for 20 min. B-1 (0.10 g, 0.74 mmol) is added and the mixture is stirred over night at RT then for 2 h at 40° C. EA is added and washed with NH₄Cl (aq. solution) and water, dried and concentrated. The crude is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient 98% DCM and 2% MeOH+0.2% NH₃) to provide 80 mg of C-3. ESI-MS: 289 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.78 min (method M)

The following alcohols are prepared in analogy to the above described procedure using the corresponding acid (see Acid Intermediates) as described before:

Inter- ESI-MS HPLC (Rt) method mediate Name Structure [M + H]⁺ [min] Name C-5 N-Ethyl-N-((S)-2- hydroxy-1-methyl- ethyl)-2-(5-methyl- oxazol-2-yl)- benzamide

289 0.72 M C-6 N-Ethyl-N-((S)-2- hydroxy-1-methyl- ethyl)-4-methoxy- 2-[1,2,3]triazol-2- yl-benzamide

305 0.77 M

N-Ethyl-N—((S)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-ethyl)-2-[1,2,3]triazol-2-yl-benzamide C-4

A mixture of A-1 (0.72 g, 3.8 mmol) and thionyl chloride (0.36 mL, 5.0 mmol) in toluene (7.0 mL) and a drop of DMF is heated to 60° C. for 2 h, then cooled and concentrated. The residue is dissolved in dry DCM (5 mL) and added dropwise to a stirred mixture of B-1 (0.65 g, 4.64 mmol) and TEA (1.44 mL, 10.3 mmol) in dry DCM (10 mL) at 0° C. The reaction is stirred at RT for 2 h. Water is added and the organic layer is separated, washed with citric acid (10% aq. solution) and with NaHCO₃ (sat. aq. solution). The organic layer is dried and concentrated to provide 0.94 g of C-4. ESI-MS: 275 [M+H]⁺, HPLC (Rt): 0.69 min (method M)

N-Ethyl-4-fluoro-N—((S)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-ethyl)-2-pyrimidin-2-yl-benzamide C-7

Step 1: A mixture of A-30 (2.4 g, 11 mmol), DIPEA (5.8 mL, 34 mmol) and C-7.1 (5.7 g, 1.0 mmol) in dry DMF (40 mL) is stirred under nitrogen for 10 min. B-2 (2.4 g, 13 mmol) is added and the mixture is stirred for 16 h at RT. The crude mixture is poured into water and extracted with EA. The organic phase is dried and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient from 100% cyclohexane to 40% cyclohexane and 60% EA) to provide 2.7 g of C-7.2. ESI-MS: 389, [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.38 min (method M)

Step 2: Under nitrogen, a mixture of C-7.2 (120 mg, 0.31 mmol) and ethyl iodide (96 mg, 0.62 mmol) in dry DMF (2.5 mL) is stirred at 0° C. Potassium tert-butoxide (52 mg, 0.46 mmol) is added and the reaction is stirred at 0° C. for 1 h. Water is added and the crude mixture is extracted with EA. The organic phase is dried and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient from 100% cyclohexane to 50% cyclohexane and 50% EA) to provide 140 mg (purity 90%) of C-7.3. ESI-MS: 418 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.60 min (method M)

Step 3: To a stirred mixture of C-7.3 (140 mg, 0.30 mmol, purity 90%) in dry THF (3.0 mL) at 0° C. is added C-7.4 (595 mg, 0.67 mmol). The reaction is stirred at 0° C. for 1 h and then concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient from 100% DCM to 90% DCM and 10% MeOH) to provide 80 mg of C-7. ESI-MS: 304 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.75 min (method M)

The following alcohols are prepared in analogy to the above described procedure using the corresponding acid (see Acid Intermediates) as described before:

Inter- ESI-MS HPLC (Rt) method mediate Name Structure [M + H]⁺ [min] Name C-8 N-Ethyl-3-fluoro- N-((S)-2-hydroxy- 1-methyl-ethyl)-2- pyrimidin-2-yl- benzamide

304 0.69 M C-9 N-Ethyl-5-fluoro- N-((S)-2-hydroxy- 1-methyl-ethyl)- 2-pyrimidin-2-yl- benzamide

304 0.73 M

Preparation of Compounds of the Present Invention Example 1

To a stirred mixture of C-4 (0.94 g, 3.43 mmol) in dry DMF (31 mL) at 0° C. under nitrogen is added NaH (0.16 g, 3.91 mmol). The mixture is stirred at RT for 30 min. Then D-2 (0.48 mL, 3.87 mmol) is added and stirred at RT overnight. The mixture is treated with water and extracted with EA. The organic layer is washed with water, dried and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient from 100% cyclohexane to 70% cyclohexane and 30% EA) to obtain 0.99 g of Example 1. ESI-MS: 443 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 3.60 min (method N)

The following example is prepared in analogy to the above described procedure using the corresponding alcohol (see Alcohol Intermediates) as described before and the corresponding aryl halide. For the synthesis of Examples 26 sodium hydride is added at RT.

ESI-MS HPLC method Ex. Structure [M + H]⁺ (Rt) [min] Name 18

451 3.73 N

Example 2

To a mixture of A-9 (2.28 mg, 11 μmol) in ACN dry (110 μL) is added B-4 (2.86 mg, 10 μmol) and DIPEA (5.19 μL, 30 μmol) in dry ACN (100 μL). CIP (3.62 mg, 13 μmol) is dissolved in dry ACN (100 μL) and added. The mixture is shaken for 4 h at RT. DMF (100 μl) and K₂CO₃ (3M aq. solution, 15 μl) is added and the mixture is shaken for 1 h at RT. The mixture is filtered over basic aluminium oxide, washed with DMF/MeOH=9/1 and concentrated to provide 4.60 mg of Example 2. ESI-MS: 424 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 0.91 min (method R)

The following examples are prepared in analogy to the above described procedure using the corresponding acid (see Acid Intermediates) as described before. For the synthesis of Example 30 the mixture is stirred at 60° C. for 1 h.

ESI-MS HPLC method Ex. Structure [M + H]⁺ (Rt) [min] Name 3

439 0.90 Q 4

457 0.93 Q 6

457 0.90 Q 7

489 0.98 Q 9

420 0.87 Q 10

435 0.92 Q 12

454 0.82 Q 14

450 0.86 Q 15

450 0.85 Q 24

455 0.96 Q 25

489 0.98 Q 28

436 0.89 Q 30

432 1.07 F 33

457 1.10 F

Example 8

To a mixture of A-13 (32 mg, 0.15 mmol), B-4 (35 mg, 0.12 mmol) and DIPEA (64 μL, 0.37 mmol) in ACN (2 mL) is added CIP (44 mg, 0.16 mmol) and the mixture is stirred at RT for 1 h. The crude is purified by HPLC-MS (using a solvent gradient H₂O/ACN with 0.1% NH₃) to provide 35 mg of Example 8. ESI-MS: 451 [M+H]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 1.16 min (method F)

Example 22

To a stirred mixture of C-1 (0.75 g, 2.57 mmol) in dry DMF (15 mL) at RT and under nitrogen is added NaH (0.13 g, 3.21 mmol). The mixture is stirred at RT for 30 min. Then D-2 (0.47 g, 2.57 mmol) is added and the mixture is stirred at RT for 2 h. The mixture is treated with water and extracted with ethyl ether. The organic layer is dried and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient from 100% cyclohexane to 60% cyclohexane and 40% EA) to provide 0.65 g of Example 22. ESI-MS: 461 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 3.68 min (method N)

Example 27

Under nitrogen to a stirred mixture of C-7 (40 mg, 0.13 mmol) and D-2 (24 mg, 0.13 mmol) in dry DMSO (3 mL) at 5° C. is added potassium tert-butoxide (15 mg, 0.13 mmol). The mixture is stirred at RT for 1 h. Then additional D-2 (12 mg) and potassium tert-butoxide (5 mg) are added and stirring is continued for 1 h. The mixture is treated with water and extracted with EA. The organic layer is dried and concentrated. The residue is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel (using a solvent gradient from 100% cyclohexane to 40% cyclohexane and 60% EA) to provide 32 mg of Example 27. ESI-MS: 450 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 4.86 min (method O)

The following example is prepared in analogy to the above described procedure using the corresponding alcohol (see Alcohol Intermediates) as described before and the corresponding aryl halide.

ESI-MS HPLC Method Ex. Structure [M + H]⁺ (Rt) [min] Name 29

472 [M + Na]+ 3.51 N

Example 32

A mixture of A-33 (80 mg, 0.39 mmol), B-4 (112 mg, 0.39 mmol), 32.1 (194 mg, 0.51 mmol) and DIPEA (339 μL, 1.96 mmol) in dry DMF (5 mL) is stirred at RT overnight. The mixture is treated with water, extracted with EA and concentrated. The crude is purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel to provide 98 mg of Example 32. ESI-MS: 458 [M+Na]⁺; HPLC (Rt): 3.63 min (method N). 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A compound of formula I:

wherein: Ar represents:

R¹ represents H, F, or CH₃; R² represents H, F, Cl, CH₃, CF₃, or OCH₃; R³ represents H, F, CF₃, or OCH₃; and * represents the point of attachment to the phenyl ring, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 2. The compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein at least one of R¹, R² and R³ represents H.
 3. The compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein: Ar represents:

and R² represents H, F, Cl, CH₃, or CF₃.
 4. The compound according to claim 1, wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:


5. A pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound according to claim 1, wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:


6. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, in admixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant, diluent and/or carrier.
 7. A method for antagonizing orexin type 1 receptor activity in a patient, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the patient has a psychiatric or neurological condition associated with impulse control deficit selected from the group consisting of an anxiety disorder, an attention disorder, a conduct disorder, an eating disorder, an impulse control disorder, a mood disorder, a neurodegenerative disorder, a personality disorder, a psychosexual disorder, a sexual disorder, a sleep disorder, a neurological disease, and a drug addiction. 